Cooperative Agreements With Commercial Firms, 72919 [2020-24529]

Agencies

• National Aeronautics and Space Administration

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 221 (Monday, November 16, 2020)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 72919]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-24529]



[[Page 72919]]

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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

14 CFR Part 1274

[Document Number NASA-20-092; Docket Number NASA-2020-0007]
RIN 2700-AE58


Cooperative Agreements With Commercial Firms

AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

ACTION: Direct final rule.

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SUMMARY: This direct final rule removes information on NASA's 
Cooperative Agreements with Commercial Firms because this information 
is already available in another section of the Code of Federal 
Regulations and in NASA's Grant and Cooperative Agreements Manual 
(GCAM).

DATES: This direct final rule is effective on January 15, 2021 without 
further action, unless adverse comment is received by December 16, 
2020. If adverse comment is received, NASA will publish a timely 
withdrawal of the rule in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Comments must be identified with RINs 2700-AE58 and may be 
sent to NASA via the Federal E-Rulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments. Please note that NASA will post all comments on the internet 
without changes, including any personal information provided.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Antanese Crank, 202-358-4683, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Direct Final Rule and Significant Adverse Comments

    NASA has determined this rulemaking meets the criteria for a direct 
final rule because it makes nonsubstantive changes to remove 
information on NASA's Cooperative Agreements with Commercial Firms 
codified in 14 CFR part 1274 because this information is already 
available in 2 CFR part 1800 and in NASA's GCAM. NASA's GCAM is 
accessible at https://prod.nais.nasa.gov/pub/pub_library/srba/documents/Grant_and_CooperativeAgreementManual.pdf. No opposition to 
the changes and no significant adverse comments are expected. However, 
if NASA receives any significant adverse comments, it will withdraw 
this direct final rule by publishing a document in the Federal 
Register. A significant adverse comment is one that explains: (1) Why 
the direct final rule is inappropriate, including challenges to the 
rule's underlying premise or approach; or (2) why the direct final rule 
will be ineffective or unacceptable without a change. In determining 
whether a comment necessitates withdrawal of this direct final rule, 
NASA will consider whether such comment warrants a substantive response 
through a notice and comment process.

Background

    Title 14 CFR part 1274, last amended June 3, 2016 [81 FR 35584], 
sets forth policy guidelines to establish uniform requirements for NASA 
cooperative agreements awarded to commercial firms. It is amended to 
remove information on NASA's Cooperative Agreements with Commercial 
Firms because this information is already available in other documents.

Regulatory Analysis

Executive Order 12866, Regulatory Planning and Review and Executive 
Order 13563, Improvement Regulation and Regulation Review

    Executive Orders (E.O.) 13563 and 12866 direct agencies to assess 
all costs and benefits of available regulatory alternatives and, if 
regulation is necessary, to select regulatory approaches that maximize 
net benefits (including potential economic, environmental, public 
health and safety effects, distributive impacts, and equity). E.O. 
13563 emphasizes the importance of quantifying both costs and benefits, 
of reducing costs, of harmonizing rules, and of promoting flexibility. 
This rule has been designated as ``not significant'' under section 3(f) 
of E.O. 12866.

Review Under the Regulatory Flexibility Act

    The Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) requires an 
agency to prepare an initial regulatory flexibility analysis to be 
published at the time the proposed rule is published. This requirement 
does not apply if the agency ``certifies that the rule will not, if 
promulgated, have a significant economic impact on a substantial number 
of small entities'' (5 U.S.C. 603). This rule removes 14 CFR part 1274, 
therefore, does not have a significant economic impact on a substantial 
number of small entities.

Review Under the Paperwork Reduction Act

    This direct final rule does not contain any information collection 
requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 
3501 et seq.).

Review Under E.O. 13132

    E.O. 13132, ``Federalism,'' 64 FR 43255 (August 4, 1999) requires 
regulations be reviewed for federalism effects on the institutional 
interest of states and local governments, and if the effects are 
sufficiently substantial, preparation of the Federal assessment is 
required to assist senior policy makers. Removal of 14 CFR part 1274 
will not have any substantial direct effects on state and local 
governments within the meaning of the E.O. Therefore, no federalism 
assessment is required.

Executive Order 13771--Reducing Regulations and Controlling Regulatory 
Costs

    This rule is not an E.O. 13771 regulatory action because this rule 
is not significant under E.O. 12866.

Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995

    This rule will not result in the expenditure by state, local, and 
Tribal governments, in the aggregate, or by the private sector, of 
$100,000,000 or more in any one year, and it will not significantly or 
uniquely affect small governments.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 1274

    Federal financial assistance.

PART 1274--[Removed and Reserved]

0
Accordingly, under 51 U.S.C. 20113(a), 14 CFR chapter V is amended by 
removing and reserving part 1274.

Nanette Smith,
Team Lead, NASA Directives and Regulations.
[FR Doc. 2020-24529 Filed 11-13-20; 8:45 am]
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